I leap at any opportunity to create a new tradition or special memory with my family. The seemingly small moments really are what stick out in the forefront of my mind when I reminisce back on my childhood. Ask me what’s the best present I ever received as a kid was… no idea! But I do remember every year putting the ornaments up on the tree together during Christmas time, making huge pots of chili every Halloween night and waking up to green eggs every St. Patrick’s Day. I was blessed with such beautiful memories as a child, I can’t wait to provide my littles with the same gift!

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner I’ve really been racking my brain on ways to make this February 14th special for not only the husband and me, but for the whole family. Here are a few ideas I’ve come up with--

1. Secret Valentines- I’ve always adored handmade Valentines. Especially ones made by the littlest of hands. Here’s what you do. Write everyone’s name down on individual slips of paper. Have each person in the family draw a name at random to make a Valentine for. Keep it a secret and get creative! From experience, I can say handmade is always the way to go! On our first Christmas together, my husband and I were of course broke as a joke so we decided to get creative! We wandered around the house, gathering materials and created handmade ornaments for each other. Were they pretty? Heck no! But they truly are some of the most precious and treasured ornaments on the tree every year!

2. Have a fancy dinner for the whole fam! (Fine china and foie gras not required) Dust off that family recipe card or even better, get the children involved in preparing your home's favorite meal by assigning each member of the family a particular job. To add a touch of magic to the dinner fill up three different sized mason-jars with small heart shaped candies, tie a cute ribbon around the lids and voila! A super cute, and cheap, centerpiece for your dining pleasure.

3. Hide the Heart - I can imagine this would go over super well with the little ones! I see my three year old really enjoying this one. Have them help you cut out various shaped hearts from construction paper and write one reason why you love them on each heart. Hide them around the house and let them go to town! I promise you, your eyes will light up brighter than theirs when they find each hidden message.

I can’t wait to try out all three of these ideas with my family this year! The most important part of any holiday is just spending time loving your family and these ideas allow for the focus to shift to filling the hearts of you and your family. Do you have a super cute tradition with your family or a new idea you’d love to try? Share the love! I can’t wait to hear what ideas all your beautiful minds can come up with!

Happy New Year friends!! I hope you enjoyed a wonderful holiday season filled with laughs, love and hopefully a fantastic gift! I have to be honest here, I am obsessed with giving gifts. I want to extend the smallest amount of joy to anyone that I can. (Sometimes this includes myself!) Yes, I love to give gifts to myself, HA!

I wanted to talk a little about my favorite gift, actually I should say two favorite gifts. One given to me from me and the other from my favorite guy in the entire world. That is right ladies, my husband! <3

Okay, first the gift I gave to myself. I decided I needed to kick off 2017 with a bang as far as being and staying organized go. I have always stressed about schedules with my children and my husband while sort of keeping an eye on anything business or personal project related and I would end up buying four different year planners, use my phone and even turn to a dry erase board to try to stay on top of everything. And EVERY. SINGLE. YEAR I have given up part way in for feeling overwhelmed. It was just too much. I mean, being an organized mother is stressful enough without all these planners…albeit, CUTE as heck planners.

I did a little research in December and I went back and forth between three or so planners online and I decided to just jump with my instinct and go for one. My planner arrived right before the new year and let me just say that I am IN LOVE!! It is a life saver! I can focus on my creative goals, my family goals and my personal goals. Everything I could want or need is in this beautifully put together planner. It really is well thought out. I can stay on top of drinking all the water I need in a day and remember to clean out the closet, finally! Because I always forget part way though the week. I have a place to record my workflow, focus on my marketing goals, monthly and weekly goals..pretty much anything and everything anyone in a creative focus would need to stay organized. The planner can be made to fit your specific goals and needs. Plus, it is simply GORGEOUS!!

I am just so obsessed with this beauty and I feel like I can already breath because once the holiday’s end for us we are thrown right back in to this crazy busy life. A life that I would never trade for anything, but one I would like to keep slightly organized!

My second gift, that came from husband, is what I call my most amazing accessory E. V. E. R. If you are a Target shopper like me, you would have already been in eye contact with the SIP by S’well water bottle. This amazing company not only makes fantastic products but according to their website they also “are a proud supporter of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, donating $200,000 since 2015 to help provide clean water to the world’s most vulnerable children.” I mean how could it get any better than that? If you are not that familiar with UNICEF well then you should know that “The U.S. Fund for UNICEF helps save and protect the world's most vulnerable children and are rated as one of the best charities to donate to, 90% of every dollar spent goes directly to help children. I mean…yes please!

Seriously, these have to be the most adorable water bottles currently in existence and they keep my drink ICE COLD. I took one of these baby’s to Disney World with us and filled it up early morning before we headed to a park and mid afternoon the water was just as refreshing as it was when I first poured it in. I remember my husband being surprised at how cold the water was. (Point for me! Sometimes I know what I am talking about, Chris) I am telling you, grab one asap!

My husband went out and picked me the most adorable color bottle for Christmas and cannot stop carrying it everywhere!! How fantastic is that color?? I only have two as of now…but I do shop at Target more than I like to admit, so we will see ;)

Do any of you already have the pleasure of owning either of these items? What was your favorite gift given or recieved?

When I heard that these two lovebirds were expecting, I was more than thrilled for them. It is always so amazing to know that two people who love each other so much and dedicate themselves to each other are able to manifest that love by creating this very tiny bundle of joy. And she is just that.

As some of you may already know, three out of my five handsome nephews had a very tough fight from the moment they entered this world and it is something that is both inspirational and challenging. Read more HERE.

Again, it comes to no surprise that this particular situation is something that is near and dear to my heart. And when I became made aware of The Tiny Footprints Project, I had to be part of it. So what is it? Well, The Tiny Footprints Project is a group of photographers who are matched with parents of premature babies living in the NICU and the parents are gifted a lifestyle inspired session, free of charge.

Meet this darling little one <3

If you know of a family who is in need of such a lovely blessing, please direct them to www.thetinyfootprintsproject.org and click on 'Parents' to fill out a request.

Photographers, if this project is calling to you please visit them at www.thetinyfootprintsproject.org and click on 'Photographers' to learn more.

This past June we celebrated my youngest's third birthday and I am always striving to find the next best venue to host birthday parties for my own sanity..as well as the safety of my home ;) I mean, sometimes I only want to focus on the cake and my little ones.

With having two boys, I now have 15 birthday parties under my belt and have decided to compile a list of our favorite birthday party venues for your future consideration. My favorite venues are the ones where you show up, enjoy your child's party and then go home. No great deal of planning, no entertaining all the little ones running around and best of all, no cleaning. So take a look at our top ten venue's to hold your next party.

1. Good Zoo at Oglebay. This is where we just had my youngest son's third birthday in June and it was a blast! Not only did the children get to experience a few zoo animals in the party room, they also took a fun train ride through parts of the zoo. My favorite part about this venue would have to be the inclusions. The set up and clean up are both included as well as zoo admission for your guests to enjoy before and after the party. You also get the party room for 2 hours, paper goods, and the best part would be the educator to lead activities and take care of all your party needs. Even the cupcakes are included. The Good Zoo really is one stop party venue!

2. Iceoplex at Southpointe. This is a great option for older children. Choose between the ice rink or the green turf and allow your guests to get involved in ice skating or maybe a game of kick ball. A party room is included and the option to add food from BLVD is available.

3. Lilliput Play Homes. Another indoor option for those winter months! From a doctor's office to an icecream shoppe, this venue offers fun, play houses for every child to enjoy. And better yet, everything is included but the cake!! This venue is especially wonderful for those who enjoy using their imaginations and dressing up.

4. Local Park. You can never go wrong with a birthday party at the park! Rent a pavilion and then let the children play their little hearts out! My two most favorite parks would have to be North Strabane and Dormont Park!

5. Meadows Lanes Bowling. The great thing about the lanes here is that you can choose to have a private party room with your own lanes, or go grab two lanes and hold a last minute party.

6. PA Trolley Museum. This may be one of my favorite birthday venues as we held my second's first birthday here and it was a big hit! A party room is included as well as a ride on a fantastic trolley! They make the event even more special with birthday signs as you enter and on the trolley itself! You will need to bring supplies. Please note that the museum is only available during spring and summer months. Feel free to check out Eli's First Birthday at the Trolley HERE. Thank You again for the video footage Jeromy Dinsmore.

7. Planet Bounce. This a great indoor location for those with cold month birthday's! This venue offers a party rooms as well as the play room full of inflatable bounce houses, slides and obstacle course. A waiver will need to be completed for each guest!

8. Sarris Public Library. Pick a theme offered by the library and allow the assigned library staff to lead your party in activities such as games and crafts. Your birthday child will even receive a birthday gift from the library! You will need to provide all party supplies.

9. The Little Gym of Pittsburgh-South Hills. Here you can give your birthday one full use of the Little Gym with instructor lead activities that really are custom to him/her. I remember last year we were going with a letters and numbers theme and they were happy to fit the activities to include that area of the theme. A great perk to this location is that there is no worry to set up or clean up! Can you tell I am all about NOT cleaning up?

10. Wilfred R. Cameron Wellness Center. Here you will get to decide between a pool party or a gym party as well as adding options for the climbing wall. A room is included for all your party needs, but you will be responsible to provide them. We have held both a pool and a gym party and they both offer great activities for the children. Waivers will need to be completed.

There you have it, our favorite birthday party venues from Canonsburg, PA to Wheeling, WV. You really cannot go wrong as each of these venues will not only keep your guests entertained but they will keep your home clean ;)

What are your favorite birthday party spots? I would love to hear from you!

Celebrating is something I LOVE to do, especially when a birthday is involved. And it gets even better when it is a FIRST birthday. What a year of growth and accomplishments as our little ones move into toddlerhood.

R was so funny in the studio celebrating her big day with a smash cake. Mom and I were laughing right along with this beautiful girl as she fully enjoyed her smash cake.

I wish her so so many more wonderful birthdays! Check her out as she realizes that yummy cake is all hers!

Have you ever heard that we should treat our sons how to give love and our daughters how to receive love through example in our own relationships? Now, being a boymom I know just how important it is for our sons to receive love just the same but I find it especially sweet when a daughter can watch her mom wrapped in love and protection and know just what she deserves as she becomes a young lady. While watching this family interact with each other during our golden hour session, I could not help but appreciate that this little lady will have a high standard thanks to the beautiful relationship she gets to observe on a day to day basis and it is nothing short of beautiful. Is there anything greater than love?

Procrastination...it should be my middle name. Dates never change, Valentine's Day is always on the 14th of February and yet I continue to be caught off guard year after year! What do you mean I only have 12 DAYS LEFT?!

Have no fear, I am quick on my feet and came up with a lovely way to shower those who mean the most to me with a few words of affirmation. (That's right, I remember a little about the 5 languages of love!)

This fun DIY project will allow you to love on your lovies without emptying the purse pockets! You only need a handful of craft material and you will be on your way. I am talking about a love letter in the shape of a heart with lovely and personal facts to remind your special someone just why you love them!

What you will need to complete your own personal love letter:

4-6 sheets of card stock or scrapbooking paperdry erase markerink padalphabet stamp kit (optional, you could try your hand at calligraphy or just use a pen)scissorsscotch tape

These items can easily be found at your local craft store.

This DIY craft is so easy. Begin by cutting out a heart from one of your craft papers and use it as a pattern to trace on the back of all the papers, then cut.

Next you will want to write a special reason why you love your partner or child on each cut out heart. This can be anything and everything! I plan to go with a mix of silly and sweet facts. For example, my husband typically sings all of these absurdly high pitched songs...A Little Thing Called Love, anyone?! Anyhow, he can really get up there and it always makes me laugh. Make it personal to you.

(A great tip to add sparkle to your hearts: Take the edge of the heart and run it across your ink pad to add flair!)

Now, take your dry erase marker and draw a big heart on their bathroom mirror, write a simple message inside the heart outline such as "You make it so easy to love you" or "We love you because" and then use your scotch tape to hang your mini heart notes around your larger dry erase heart.

That is all there is to this simple yet meaningful gift and just in time to celebrate the ones you love on Valentine's Day.

The best part about this craft is how personal it can be. You can post on heart daily leading up to Valentine's Day or you can assembly all the hearts to be enjoyed all at once. You really cannot go wrong.

As an Auntie to FIVE amazing little nephews, I have the privilege to spoil them rotten and then send them back to mom and dad! A look into grandparenthood perhaps? So far, it looks like a great time! And with those days full of laughter and fun I am also part of some of their struggles. Moving away from home, the loss of their grandfather and even the struggle that comes with being a premature baby.

Three out of my five handsome nephews had a very tough fight from the moment they entered this world and it is something that is both inspirational and challenging. My newest little nephew is still under a year and has spent the last few months struggling to gain and hold any weight. I remember feeling so pleased when he finally hit 8 pounds and moved into 3-6 month old clothes and I had to return his preemie sized Christmas outfits days before the holiday. What could have been a slight inconvenience was something so beautiful. Finally, he is holding weight after so many months of struggle.

Obviously, it comes to no surprise that this particular situation is something that is near and dear to my heart. And when I became made aware of The Tiny Footprints Project, I had to be part of it. The Tiny Footprints Project is a group of photographers who are matched with parents of premature babies living in the NICU and the parents are gifted a lifestyle inspired session, free of charge.

I had the pleasure to spend some time last week with the sweetest little one and his loving parents.

These little ones are so strong and so beautiful. It is amazing just how much they teach us in such a short amount of time. This project is beautiful and I am so honored to belong and watch them grow.

If you know of a family who is in need of such a lovely blessing, please direct them to www.thetinyfootprintsproject.org and click on 'Parents' to fill out a request.

Photographers, if this project is calling to you please visit them at www.thetinyfootprintsproject.org and click on 'Photographers' to learn more.

Meet Sarah and her gorgeous daughter...Shimmer and Shine! No, that is not her real name but she goes by a few cute nicknames so when I asked her what she wanted me to call her, Shimmer and Shine was the request! This dynamic duo are so much alike from their personalities to their smiles, and it made for a fun session. Always laughing and radiating joy and love, I was thankful this El Nino influenced weather allowed for such a warm and hazy sunset session in DECEMBER!! Sarah and her daughter really are two peas in a pod!

I think the only thing better than waking up to bright colored christmas presents under my grandmother's lovely tree would be all the delicious food, especially the treats. My goodness could my grandmother bake a mean dessert. I remember her cheerful laugh as she told me how she would make treats for the neighborhood children who came over to play with my dad and aunt. She said every person would always have a particular favorite and this rang true for me as well. I L. O. V. E. D. her rocky road bar. It was heavenly with a wonderful salty, crunchy flair. I recall during my fourth grade school year, I was able to make these chocolate pillow masterpieces to take in for my classmates. This day is actually one of my favorites with her, being side by side and making something I loved so much with the person I loved more than anyone in the world. This treat still stands as one of my all time favorites, although I have to scale back the serving I have in a sitting ;) Ah, the joy of getting older. Add this delicious treat to your table for the holidays, it is a keeper!

You will need:

1 package of semisweet chocolate chips

1/8 cup of butter (I use unsalted)

1 can of sweetened condensed milk

2 1/2 cup dry-roasted peanuts

1 package miniature marshmallow

9x13 inch pan

wax paper

Thats it, thats all you need. Can you see where this is going? Talk about an easy treat to make with your kids and hopefully your grandkids one day.

First you will want to line a 9X13 inch pan with wax paper for easy removal. Then you will melt the chocolate chips and butter and condensed milk in a large sauce pan on medium to low heat until mixture is smooth, stirring occasionally. A great tip is to keep the temperature low to avoid burning. (If you are tight for time, you could also melt these items in the microwave. Heat the condensed milk and butter for one minute in a microwave-safe bowl. Add in the chocolate chips and stir well. Then microwave for an additional thirty seconds and still until smooth.) Once your chocolate mixture is nice and smooth remove it from the heat. Toss in the peanuts and marshmallows and fold them into the chocolate sauce. Pour into the prepared pan and chill in the refrigerator until firm. Approximately 2 hours. Once firm, cut in squares and serve.

I like to pull the treat from the pan, remove the wax paper and serve on a festive plate. This is our traditional go to recipe however adding twists are always so fun. I have added flavors from peanut butter to shredded coconut. Add your own family flare to such a yummy treat!

This GORGEOUS girl braved the early autumn wind in this beautiful pink and gold dress made for a princess. We spent the late afternoon at a local farm, who has the most gorgeous apple orchards and the best tasting baked goods in their on site shop. Soergels Farm is a great place to spend the afternoon playing with the young ones and shopping for delicious produce and treats and that is just what we did.

Tracie Michelle Little made this lovely and full tulle dress and Miss Julia just sparkled in it. I am excited to take her to the city of bridges after the winter fades!

Being a boy mom it is more than fair to say I can be a tad biased to them over girls, and given the fact that my last two newborn sessions were both girls I was very excited to spend the afternoon with this little guy. His family is so gorgeous and he couldn't have been more blessed with a pair of loving parents and even the best four-legged pal a boy could ask for. Congratulations again K family, he is such a sweetheart!

Last week I had the pleasure of attending a photography conference in the beautiful San Antonio, Riverwalk. This place is filled with entertainment, beauty and history. While there I had the opportunity to experience tasty food, one of which included a 24 hour Mexican bakery...talk about a win! I was able to meet a wonderful group of gals from all over the US, whom I plan to stay in touch with. All of this is just a bonus to the conference itself. I was able to create a schedule that met my current skill set while growing areas that I am interested in. I came back home refreshed, inspired, encouraged and full.

Full, now that is a beautiful feeling. All I want to do is be behind my camera documenting those very feelings for anyone and everyone! I am a believer in giving, especially when one is on top of the world...which is how I feel and will strive to always feel.

I want to provide a newborn OR family lifestyle session to one lucky family in hopes of passing on that same feeling. Photography is something that is able to capture a moment in time and preserve it no matter what changes around it. Every time I look back on photographs of my family, I feel that joyful emotion knowing how beautiful my lie has been and will continue to be.

In order to be officially entered in the giveaway you must:

1. Comment on this blog post with your email. You will not be placed on an email newsletter, this is just for contacting the winner about the contest only.

When a close friend requested a lovely birthday session for her sweet daughter I could not have been more excited! Sofia is the most kind hearted yet strong willed little girl; much like her mother. We had such a great time planning and spending time together and we probably laughed more than I hit the shutter button! We planned a late evening play date with a bear, some tea and of course balloons; all while we enjoyed that warm summer sunlight set.

Happy SECOND Birthday sweet Sofia, you make the world a better place <3

With school on the brink of beginning in less than TWO weeks....seriously, where did the summer go? I feel like all that rain in the beginning half of the school break took up so many pool side days that we will not get to make up this year! Okay, vent done ;) Back to the muffins. So, with school back in session and early wake up calls, I need to use every trick I can to make my mornings run smoothly. What is better than muffin Mondays...and maybe even Wednesdays and Fridays along with a few hard boiled eggs and some fruit to keep the mornings (and kiddos) on track with minimal cleaning and no cooking. So we decided to try out a few new recipes and our strawberry muffins come with the help of the lovely Ina Garten from the Food Network. (Any other Food Network junkies out there?) She has a lovely and simple recipe that can be found here. With a few tweaks, we were able to make her muffin recipe our own. We did not mix our wet ingrediants together in one cup. We also cut her recommended sugar by half a cup to our muffin mix and then placed the extra on top of our muffins for some added crunch. But my favorite addition to her recipe was a pair of little hands to help with the prep...and the cleaning!

Not only was my house smelling wonderful; we also have beautiful and delicious muffins to last us through the week! (If I do not snack on them through the night! shhh)

....well, sort of. We were actually in Erie, PA visiting Presque Isle State Park over the Fourth of July weekend. Nothing beats a two hour drive to beach-like conditions with practically no risk of visiting a shark! That is a win win if I ever knew one! The weather was more than beautiful while the area of Pittsburgh saw mostly rainy conditions...which seems to be a common theme this summer. Needless to say, we lucked out.

Eli spent the first part of the day avoiding the water like the plague as he seemed underwhelmed at the cool 65 degree Lake Erie. However, daddy was able to save the day!

It took some convincing but Eli eventually gave in and decided to give the water a chance. This is a big deal for our hater of baths and pools! You read that correctly, my two year old shutters at the word bath. Don't ask me why, I am trying to remain empathetic until it passes. :)

Once daddy gave Eli the courage and brother offered to play, we couldn't get him away from it.

And when I write couldn't get him away, I really meant it. He would have played ALL night!

Que in daddy to once again save the day; they are just so good at that!

After a few minutes in daddy's arms he was out like a light and we were able to leave without a struggle.

I am looking forward to our next visit and so grateful to be able to spend such a beautiful weekend with my family without threat thanks to the amazing men and women who fight for my right to do just that. My family is truly thankful and blessed! Thank You veterans and current soldiers for being so giving. My thoughts and prayers are always constant for you and your family. <3

I was so excited to meet this sweetheart being both a boy mom and an auntie to some pretty special nephews...note the lack of the word niece. I am literally surrounded by boys at all times. So you can imagine my glee when I was able to spend some time with sweet baby Olivia.

Pink...and a headband?! I am in heaven! I mean how lucky are mom and dad to have such a doll? Speaking of mom and dad, they focused on creating the most adorable nursery while waiting on their little addition.

Sweet, right? There is no doubting the love and joy that these three share and it is clearly seen in the moments captured during their lifestyle session. Such a lovely family...

Being a boy mom myself, I was completely swoon when I met such a darling bundle of joy! Mom and dad are nothing short of blessed as they get to love and support this sweetheart. There was nothing but love and laughter during this newborn session, even when Miss R refused to have any part of her crib ;)

There is nothing sweeter than meeting and photographing new parents with their little bundle of joy. The look of adoration is nothing short of beautiful. This was just the case with these newly blessed parents who's love and gratitude poured throughout their newborn session.

Thank you so much B family for allowing me to capture some of your sweetest moments of your new family of three. Baby B is more than blessed to have such caring and loving parents.